Press Releases

New Homeowners Pay $40,000 on Average to Buy and Move into a New Home

The one-time costs of moving into a new home add up quickly, and can come as a surprise to first-time buyers

Oct 2, 2018

SEATTLE and SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 2, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Buying a home is one of the most expensive transactions someone will ever make, and home shoppers can expect to spend $40,000 on average in one-time fees on the typical U.S. home, according to a new analysis from RealEstate.com, a Zillow® Group brand, and Thumbtack.

For first-time buyers, understanding their home-buying budget can be a stressful process. It can be easy to focus on the listed price or monthly mortgage payments for a home, but there are several one-off costs that buyers also should be aware of. In addition to budgeting for the down payment, buyers should be prepared to pay for closing costs and move-in projects before they settle into a new home.

RealEstate.com and Thumbtack partnered to help homebuyers understand how much it costs to not only buy a house, but also to tackle those projects that make the house their home.

The down payment is the largest single cost that buyers will face during the purchase process. The typical first-time buyer puts down 15 percent as a down payment, according to the Zillow Group Report on Consumer Housing Trends 2018. That would be $32,700 for the typical U.S. home, worth $218,000 in July.

Closing costs add thousands more to the total amount buyers should be prepared to pay. These costs frequently include the origination fee, appraisal, transfer taxes, the first year of homeowners insurance, title insurance, and more. These add about $6,250 to buyers' expenses on the home purchase for the median home.

Preparing and moving into a new home can also be pricey for the new owners. Thumbtack data show that these projects – eight hours of local moving, installing new locks, mounting a TV and full interior and yard cleaning – cost $1,130 on average.

The one-time costs associated with buying a new home are highest in the San Francisco Bay Area, in large part due to the high overall costs of homes and labor there. It would cost buyers in San Jose nearly $203,000 on average in one-time payments alone, which is more than the median home value in 11 major markets.

"Buying a home, especially for the first time, is an exciting but stressful experience," said Justin LaJoie, RealEstate.com General Manager. "Some of that stress can be eased by making sure you know all of the costs that come with buying and owning a home, so you can budget appropriately and not get caught off guard well into the buying process."

"It's imperative first-time homebuyers do their research around unexpected homeownership costs, including projects that help them prepare for the big move," said Thumbtack Lead Economist Lucas Puente. "While there may be some initial sticker shock, these projects can help get a house move-in ready."

After buying a home, homeowners can pay thousands in recurring annual costs on top of their monthly mortgage payments. To help buyers better understand the overall costs of owning a home, the RealEstate.com All-In Monthly Price search includes mortgage payments, property taxes and utility costs. Similarly, Thumbtack offers a series of interactive price calculators that homebuyers can use to estimate the approximate costs of different projects involved with the moving process in their area.

Metropolitan Area

Median HomeValue (July 2018)

15% DownPayment

Total ClosingCosts

Total AverageCosts ofMoving

Total AverageOne-TimeCosts of Buyinga Home

United States

$218,000

$32,700

$6,246

$1,134

$40,080

New York, NY

$429,700

$64,455

$11,232

$1,160

$76,847

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA

$643,300

$96,495

$7,674

$1,090

$105,259

Chicago, IL

$219,800

$32,970

$7,322

$1,170

$41,462

Dallas-Fort Worth, TX

$231,100

$34,665

$6,352

$1,040

$42,057

Philadelphia, PA

$228,400

$34,260

$6,701

$1,130

$42,091

Houston, TX

$199,300

$29,895

$6,352

$1,100

$37,347

Washington, DC

$397,500

$59,625

$8,201

$1,120

$68,946

Miami-Fort Lauderdale, FL

$275,700

$41,355

$7,398

$1,100

$49,853

Atlanta, GA

$206,300

$30,945

$4,877

$1,280

$37,102

Boston, MA

$456,400

$68,460

$8,410

$1,220

$78,090

San Francisco, CA

$954,100

$143,115

$7,674

$1,270

$152,059

Detroit, MI

$156,100

$23,415

$4,366

$1,140

$28,921

Riverside, CA

$358,600

$53,790

$7,674

$1,160

$62,624

Phoenix, AZ

$256,000

$38,400

$4,849

$1,020

$44,269

Seattle, WA

$487,600

$73,140

$5,741

$1,210

$80,091

Minneapolis-St Paul, MN

$261,300

$39,195

$5,271

$1,320

$45,786

San Diego, CA

$584,100

$87,615

$7,674

$1,150

$96,439

St. Louis, MO

$161,800

$24,270

$5,705

$1,110

$31,085

Tampa, FL

$205,900

$30,885

$7,398

$1,080

$39,363

Baltimore, MD

$264,700

$39,705

$8,196

$1,140

$49,041

Denver, CO

$397,800

$59,670

$5,962

$1,080

$66,712

Portland, OR

$391,800

$58,770

$5,403

$1,310

$65,483

Charlotte, NC

$196,800

$29,520

$4,411

$1,220

$35,151

Sacramento, CA

$400,800

$60,120

$7,674

$1,260

$69,054

San Antonio, TX

$185,900

$27,885

$6,352

$1,090

$35,327

Orlando, FL

$228,700

$34,305

$7,398

$1,000

$42,703

Cincinnati, OH

$162,000

$24,300

$4,259

$1,130

$29,689

Cleveland, OH

$141,500

$21,225

$4,286

$1,130

$26,641

Kansas City, MO

$182,600

$27,390

$5,012

$1,110

$33,512

Las Vegas, NV

$266,200

$39,930

$5,559

$890

$46,379

Columbus, OH

$182,600

$27,390

$4,286

$1,060

$32,736

San Jose, CA

$1,292,600

$193,890

$7,674

$1,270

$202,834

Austin, TX

$298,000

$44,700

$6,352

$1,090

$52,142

Zillow Group

Zillow Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:Z) (NASDAQ:ZG) houses a portfolio of the largest real estate and home-related brands on mobile and the web, which focus on all stages of the home lifecycle: renting, buying, selling and financing. Zillow Group is committed to empowering consumers with unparalleled data, inspiration and knowledge around homes, and connecting them with great real estate professionals. The Zillow Group portfolio of consumer brands includes real estate and rental marketplaces Zillow®, Trulia®, StreetEasy®, HotPads®, Naked Apartments®, RealEstate.com and Out East®. In addition, Zillow Group provides a comprehensive suite of marketing software and technology solutions to help real estate professionals maximize business opportunities and connect with millions of consumers. Zillow Offers™ provides homeowners in some metropolitan areas with the opportunity to receive offers from Zillow. When Zillow buys a home, it will make necessary updates and list the home for resale on the open market. The company operates a number of business brands for real estate, rental and mortgage professionals, including Mortech®, dotloop®, Bridge Interactive® and New Home Feed®. The company is headquartered in Seattle.

Zillow, Mortech, Bridge Interactive, StreetEasy, HotPads, Out East and New Home Feed are registered trademarks of Zillow, Inc. Zillow Offers is a trademark of Zillow, Inc. Trulia is a registered trademark of Trulia, LLC. dotloop is a registered trademark of DotLoop, LLC. Naked Apartments is a registered trademark of Naked Apartments, LLC.

About Thumbtack

Powering the businesses of hundreds of thousands of local professionals, Thumbtack offers nearly 1,000 categories of occupations, with a working professional in every county in the U.S. Thumbtack has helped customers complete millions of jobs — from plumbing and catering, to personal training and math tutoring. Founded in 2008, Thumbtack is headquartered in San Francisco. For more information, please visit: www.thumbtack.com.